Incubator attachment.



n. FIFULLINGTON.

. INCUBATOR ATTACHMENT. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, 19,l4

Patented Nov. 21,1916. l I

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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Patented Nov. 2.1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROY F. FULLINGTON, F CLIFTON ILL, MISSOURI.'

INCUBATOR ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 21, 1916.

Application led September 18, 19,14. Serial No. 862,376.I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROY F. FULLINGTON, citizen of the United States, residing at Clifton Hill, in the county of Randolph and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incubator Attachments, of which the` following is a specication.

This invention relates to incubators or brooders, and has particular reference to an "attachment for that type of devices which may be depended upon to automatically regulate the temperature at which thebrooder or incubator is to be kept.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide means normally quiescent for removing heated air from the interior of the incubator when actuated automatically by means governedv by the increase of heat, so that overheating of the incubator is prevented.

A vfurther object is to adapt the means previously set forth to prevent the under cooling of the incubator and to further provide means so simple in their construction and so capable of being cheaply manufactured that costly thermometers or thermostats may be dispensed with and yet their necessary operations performed in an equally efficient manner.

The above and additional objects which will become apparent as this explanatory descriptionproceeds, are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this a plication.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several viewsA of which like characters of reference designate similar parts: Figure 1 is a plan view of an' incubator with the cover and the egg trays removed, showing the various attachments comprehended by this invention as properly positioned, Fig.` 2 is a sectional view through the air supply and removing 50 means, Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fan casing, and Fig. 4 is a view showing in detail the operation ofV thethermostat replacing means, or the automatic regulator. Fig. 5 is a detail-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings'the numeral 5 denotes the inclosing body portion of an incubator or brooder which may be supported in any usual manner as indicated at 6 and which is provided with a hinged 60 closure 7, here illustrated as in its outwardly swung position. The interior of the casing 5 is adapted to be filled with rows or tiers of egg traysfwhich may be o-f the usual construction positioned in the customary manner. It is purposed by this invention to provide an electric fan 8 which shall be intermittently actuated as the amount of heat entering into the incubator shall dictate in order to maintain a proper temperature within the incubator. The electric fan is positioned in an auxiliary casing 9 and includes a small moto-r 10 to the central shaft of which is attached a fan 11 surrounded by a fan casing 12. Suitable sources of a difference of potential such as 13 are provided to furnish the motive power to the motor 10 being connected directly thereto in one instance' by the wire 14 and indirectly in the other instance as shall be hereinafter more 80 fully described.

Secured to the inner wall of the incubator pan 1 5 which is apertured along itsl bottom 85. as at 16 for communication with the interior of the incubator.

A pair of air circulating pipes 17 and 18 are longitudinally positioned within the pan 15 and pass outwardly therefrom through 90 the wall 5 of the incubator at a convenient point to enter the kfan chamber 9. Through one of these pipes 17 warm foul air passes from the incubator and escapes through an opening 17a in the pipe 17 into the fan cham- 95 ber 9 or by a branch pipe outside the machine. An inclined partition 17b is placedinthe pipe 17 and divides the same just behindthe opening 17"L so as to direct the path v of air to the opening.)v The pipe 17 for con- 10o Vvenience is continued rearwardly a short disyforced through the pipe 18 into the incubator. A conical cap 19 depends from the 11o inner end of the pipe 17 directly above the tray 15 for the purpose of forming abroad opening or inlet by which air may be directed into the pipe.

The yautomatic regulating means whereby the operation of a fan may be controlled to maintain a practically constant temperature in the incubator is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4. In this figure, the numeral 21 designates a heater formed of a number of heating chambers, one of which 22 is adapted to contain the heating element 23 which as here shown may be a lamp, although it is obvious that any other means such as gas or electricity could be employed with equal facility for this purpose. The heating chamber 22 is apertured as at 24 in order to permit the damper 25 to beloosely dependent therein, such damper being carried-A at the end of a movable rod 26 which is secured to a support 27 which maybe one of the egg trays if so desired in any suitable pivotal manner, although a specific descrip- .tion of a simple'and novel means will be here afforded. The rod 26 may be formed with an eye 28 at its supported end, the said eye being embraced by a staple or other fastening means 29 so that the eye is maintainedin a vertical plane and `free to rotate slightly therein upon the obvious rounded portion, although rictionally resisting such rotation sufficiently to normally support the light damper 25 in a manner very sensitive to varying degrees of surrounding pressure.

A support 30 provided with securing extensions 31 is suitably mounted in the interior of the incubator in the most convenient position where it will be readily accessible and yet not occupy space desired for other ference of potential 13 directly with the arm 37 while a similar wire 43 operatively con- Athe latter while the arm 38 is formed with an enlarged contact portion 40 and is adapted to be adjustably supported bv the screw 33. Flexible connections 41 are suitably interposed between the damper arm 26 and the free extremity of the weighted arm 37, so that depression of the damper arm will loosen or cause a slack in the connection 41 to permit'the weight 39 to remove the weighted end of the arm 37 from the vicinity of the enlarged contact 4() while converseTy elevation of the damper 25 would immediately insure a contact betweenl the adjacent extremities of the arms 37 and 38. Suitable leads 42 connect the source of difnects the arm 38 with the remaining point of contact on the electric fan 8 so that a circuit is completed upon the contacting of the levers 37 and 38. 1

An increase of heat generated by the element 23 might very easily prove detrimental to the contents of the incubator, yet before such heat couldcdo harm inthe presence of this invention the damper 25 would necessarily be buoyed up causing a contact between the pivoted arms and a completionof the circuit through the fan, which would then be actuated to force cool air into the casing through pipe 18 and drive out the foul air through the pipe 17. On the other hand shouldthe temperature of the incubator become too low, it will be seen that the cause for this will be4 the failure of the heat generated by the lamp 23 fromexerting any buoyant effect upon .the damper 25, which as explained will cause a slackening in the connections 41, so that the connection will be broken between the pivoted arms and the heat again free to raise the temperature of the incubator without 'being disturbed or lessened by the rotation of the fan. It will thus be seen that efficient means have been provided capable of replacing the usual costly thermostat while at the same time forming a reliable automatic regulator for the heating of an incubator or brooder thereby attaining the previously presented objects.

AWhile in the foregoing however, there has thus been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the' preferred embodiment of this invention, it is desired to emphasize the fact that such minor changes in the matters of proportion and degree may be made in later adaptations of this device as shall not alter the spirit of the invention as deiined in the` appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An incubator attachment including an exhaust pipe for the air of said incubator, an inlet pipe therefor` a fan for circulating air through both of said pipes, a heating element for said incubator, means sensitive to the amount of heat generated by said element, adjustable means for controlling the automatic operation of said sensitive means in regulating the amount of heat distributed, anbdl means connected with said adjustable means and interconnected with said fan to cause actuation of the latter upon an increase of heat beyond said maximum.

2. In combination, with a heating element,

a damper mounted in the path of the heated j gase'sgenerated by said element and adapted to be actuated by the flow of such heated gases,a pair of pivoted arms, means for adjusting one of said arms, means carried by the other of said arms and tending to prevent contact of the two, connections between said damper and said'second arm to cause a contact of said arms upon rlse of said damper, an air pan apertured longitudipipe positioned in said pan to convey a cooler air, and fan means for circulating air through said inlet and outlet pipes in a circuit set in motion by the contact between said arms caused by said damper.

3. The combination with an apertured tray, of a pipe serving` as an air outletvfrom said tray, an air inlet for said tray7 a fan for circulating air through both of said pipes simultaneously to cool the tray, a heating element, a damper sensitively pivoted in the path of the heated gases from said element for actuation by the flow thereof, a support, arms separately pivoted .to said support, adjustable means supporting one of said arms weight means carried 'by the other of said arms to prevent a contact between the arms, a flexible connection between said weight arm and the sensitive mount-ing' for said damper to cause a contact between the arms upon movement of the damper in one direction and permitting said weight means to break the contact of said arms in the other direction and a circuit closed by contact between said arms for the operation of said fan. I

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROY F. FULLINGTON. fitnessesz TOM,Y BOWEN, MARY SEARS. 

